Straight bar knitting machine and a method for operating same



imh 4, 192 ST 2587532 F; LAMBACH RAIGHT BAR KNIT'If'ING MACHINE AND- A METHOD FOR OPERATING SAME Filed Oct. 22, 1948 3Sheets-Sheet 1 x 1 VENTOR.

' U P z LAMBACH ATTORNEY March 1952 F. 'LAMBAcH 2,587,632

STRAIGHT BAR KNIT'N NG MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR OPERATING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed on." 2,2, 1-948 3a" -A I 270 FIG 2 2 3/6 I'. MA g ATTORNEY "March 4, 1952 1 FLLAMBACH- a .STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING-MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR OPERQTING SAME v Filed Oct. 22, 1948 3 Sheets-SheetS INVENTOR. FRITZ LAMBACH ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1952 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND A METHOD FOR OPERATING SAME Fritz Lambach, Tenafly, N. J assignor to Robert Reiner, Inc., Weehawken, N. J.

Application October 22, 1948, Serial'No. 55,896

19 Claims. (Cl. 66-109) This is a continuation-inpart application of patent application Ser. #788,178 relating to A Straight Bar Knitting Machine and a Method for Operating Same, filed November 26, 1947, now Patent No. 2,584,136.

The present invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly to a straight bar knitting machine or full-fashioned knitting machine.

An ject of the present invention is to equip a straight bar knitting machine with a mechanism permitting the use of short knocking-over bits without endangering the transfer of the loops of the fabric from the welt-hooks onto the needles.

Another object of the present invention is to equip a straight bar knitting machine with a mechanism permitting an easy replacement of knocking-over bits without necessitating the removal of the entire knocking-over bar for this purpose.

A- ;further object of the present invention is to improve on the knocking-over apparatus of straight bar knitting machines as now ordinarily made.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel methods, construction, arrangement and combination of various devices, elements and parts, as set forth in the claims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being described in the specification and being illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a knockingover apparatus and of a drawing-off mechanism of a straight bar knitting machine according to the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1, wherein, however, the various elements and parts are shown in a position during the performance of a welt-turn, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 1, which, however, illustrates a different embodiment of a knocking-over apparatus.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 248 generally indicates one supporting bar of a pair of supporting bars mounted in a section of a knitting machine. said supporting bars are arranged for supporting a welt-bar 252 loosely placed thereon.

A detailed description of the mechanism for drawing-01f the fabric 3l2 at first by the weltbar 252 and then by a take -up reel I38 may be 2 found in my copending patent application Ser. #788,178, the parent application of the present application.

Fig. 1 illustrates the various parts and elements in a position shortly before the so-called weltturn. In order to carry out such a welt-turn, the knitting machine is stopped. Thereafter, the welt-bar 252 is removed by hand from the supporting bars 248 and placed into holding guides 3 I 6 arranged on brackets 280 carried by said supporting bars 248. Fig. 2 illustrates the welt-bar 252 engaged with said holding guides 316. During the manual displacement of the welt-bar 252 from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 2, the fabric 312 hooked-up to the welt-hooks 270 of the welt-bar 252 and looped around a welt-rod 306 gripped by hooks 213 secured to straps I64 connected to the takeup reel IE0 is somewhat stretched against the action of a spring (not shown) acting on the take-up reel I60.

In order to transfer the loops of the fabric 3I2 hanging on the stems of the welt-hooks 2') onto the needles 250 of the knitting machine, said needles are brought into a forwardly inclined position 250" (see Fig. 2) by a mechanism known per se.

According to the invention, the knocking-over bits 3; carried by a knocking-over bar 320 secured to a knocking-over frame 322 may also be advanced or laid out towards the welt-hooks from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. This feature may be obtained by the following mechanism:

As best shown in Fig. 1, an arm 324 keyed to a rockable vertical knocking-over shaft 325 is pivotally connected at 32'! with a vertical bar 328 rigidly connected with the knocking-over frame 322. The rockable vertical knocking-over shaft 326 is oscillated in a manner known per se by a suitable actuating drive (not shown). Furthermore, an arm 330 keyed to a horizontal knocking-over shaft 332 is pivotally connected at 333 with a link 334 having a hook 336. Said hook 336 is loosely engaged with a stud or pin 338 mounted on the vertical bar 328. The hook 336 and pin 338 are held in engagement with each other by a tension spring 340 stretched between the vertical bar 328 and an extension 342 having a series of holes 344 for adjustment of the tension of the tension spring 340. The horizontal knocking-over shaft 332 is oscillated by anactuating drive known per se (not shown). During the operation of the machine, when the hook and pin connection 336, 338 is in engagementas about the pivot 32! under ,positionshown in Fig. 1,

shown in Fig. 1, the vertical bar 328 imparts up and down movements to the knocking-over bits 3l8 and the link 334 ward movements to the knocking-over bits 3l8 in a coordinated relationship as known per se.

A handle 346 for a manual disengagement of the hook and pin connection 336, 338 during a standstill of the machine is rigidly connected with the link 334. Furthermore, the link 334 is provided with a first recess 348 adjacent the hook 336 and with a second recess 350 at a certain distance from the first recess 348 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

When the machine is at a standstill and the welt-turn is to be performed, the handle 346 is swung about the pivot 333 whereby the link 334- is brought from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shownin full lines in Fig. 2. This movement of the link 334 results in a disengagement of its hook 336 from the pin 338 on the vertical bar 328. The vertical bar 328 swings the action of the spring 346. When the lever 346 is lifted only into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the pin 338 will snap into the recess 348 of the link 334 which acts as an abutting surface limiting the advanced position of the knocking-over bar connected to the vertical bar 328, as is desirable for the weltturn. Owing to this advancing or laying-out of the knocking-over bar, it is possible to lay-out the needles 250 to a substantial extent into a position permitting the performance of a welt-turn without lifting the narrowing machine carrying the narrowing fingers 354 and yet to use only knocking-over bits 3l8 of normal length, as the laid-out knocking-over bits are sufiiciently advanced to embrace the laid-out needles. As will be readily understood, the laying-out of the knocking-over bar eliminates the use of abnormally long knocking-over bits, which would become necessary, if the knocking-over bar cannot. be advanced and the needles are advanced to a substantial extent.

When during a standstill of the machine, the lever 346 is lifted into the position shown in dash and dot lines in Fig. 2, the pin 338 will snap into the second recess 356 acting as an abutting surface for limiting a still farther advanced position of the knocking-over bar. Such a farther advanced position of the knocking-over bar permits an easy access to the knocking-over bits in case one or the other of them has to be replaced and eliminates the necessity to remove the entire knocking-over bar from the machine in such a case.

Upon a resetting of the knocking-over bits 328 into the position shown in Fig. l by a manual backward swinging of the knocking-over frame 322 and upon a return of the lever 346 into the the hook and pin connection 336, 338 becomes automatically re-engaged and the machine is ready for further operation.

As will be readily understood from above, during the performance of the welt-turn the welt- :bar 252 is held by the holding guides 3l6 of the brackets 28!] in such a position, that it does not interfere with the points of the narrowing fingers 354 and the welt-turn may be performed without lifting the narrowing machine carrying the narrowing fingers.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the knocking-over bar 420 carrying the knockingover bits M8 is again attached to the knockingover frame .422. The latter issecured to, the

imparts forward and back' vertical bar 428, the lower end of which is pivoted at 42'! to the arm 424 keyed to the rockable vertical knocking-over shaft 426. The left-hand end of a connecting link 434 is pivotally connected with the vertical bar 428 at 448. Said connecting link 434 has a hook-like recess 496 at its righthand end portion, said recess 490 being arranged for engagement with a pin 492 mounted on the arm 430 keyed to the rockable horizontal knocking-over shaft 432. A tension spring 494 stretched between the connecting link 434 and a stationary point 496 of the machine tends to hold the hook-like recess 490 and the pin 492 in engagement with each other.

A tension spring 498 stretched between the vertical bar 428 and said stationary point 498 of the machine tends to swing the vertical bar 428 together with the knocking-over frame 422, the knocking-over bar 428 and the knocking-over bits 8 in clockwise direction about the pivot 421.

The hook-like recess 490 of the connecting link 434 may be disengaged from the pin 492 by means of a handle 448 integral with the body of the connecting link 434.

If, for example, the connecting link 434 is brought by means of said handle 448 into the intermediate position 434', against the action of the spring 494, the spring 498 tends to swing the knocking-over bar with its knocking-over bits into the intermediate position 426, 418 and the pin 492 of the arm 430 will become engaged with a first abutting recess of the connecting link 434 said recess now being in the position 499. The advanced position 420, 8' of the knocking-over bar and the knocking-over bits is the position desired for the welt-turn.

If, for example, the connecting link 434 is brought by means of the handle 446 into its lowermost end position 434", the spring 498 will swing the knocking-over bar and the knockingover bits into the farther advanced position 426', M8" and the pin 492 of the arm 438 will become engaged with a second abutting recess of the connecting link said recess then being in the position 491". The farther advanced position 426', M8" is the position of the knocking-over bar and knocking-over bits desired for rendering the knocking-over bits 4l8 accessible for the performance of a repair or replacement without the removal of the entire knocking-over bar from the machine.

While, according to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the pivotal connection 338 between the vertical bar 328 and the connecting link 324 is disengageable and the remaining pivotal connections of the linkage of the knocking-over bar driving means are non-disengageable, according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the pivotal connection 492 between the connecting link 434 and the arm 430 keyed to the horizontal knocking-over shaft 432 is disengageable and the remaining pivotal connections of the linkage of the knocking-over bar driving means are non-disengageable.

Both embodiments permit the manual laying out of the knocking-over bar and the knockingover bits into two difierent advanced positions, one for the welt-turn and the other for repair or replacements of the knocking-over bits.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts as well as the substitution of equivalentelements for those herein shown and described may :be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as .set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series .of knock..- ing-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knockingeover bar driving means carrying said knockingeover bar so as to impart movements in variousdirections to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, and set.- ting means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member 01 said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an advanced position, said setting means being arranged outside said linkage of the knocking-over bar driving means.

2. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 1, said disengageable connection of the knocking-over bar driving means being designed as a pin and hook connection.

3. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of saidiknocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, a member of said linkage being disengageable from the adjoining member of the linkage at its pivotal connection with the latter which pivotal connectpn is disengageable, and a handle connected to said disengageable member of said linkage for manually engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an advanced position. I

4. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an ad,- vanced position, and limiting means arranged for limiting the advanced position of the member of the knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar.

5. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, a series of different limiting means being arranged for selectively limiting dillierent, advanced positions of said member.

6, In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, first limiting means arranged for limiting a first advanced position of said member, second limiting means arranged for limiting av secondadvanced position of said memher, and means associated with said limiting means for selectively bringin same into operative p s tion.

'1. In a strai ht bar knitting machine a claimed in claimv 4, said limitin means bein formed by coop rat ng abutt n a e on the members of the knockingeover bar driving means ined with each other by said disencag able pivotal. connection- 8. A straight bar knitting machine comprising; a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knock ing-over bits, knocking-over bar drivingmeans including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections 01? said knocking,- over bar driving means being disengageable, means associated with said knocking-over bar drivingmeans for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an advanced position, said disengageable connection of the knocking-over bar driving means including a pin secured to one member of said driving means and a hook arranged on another adjacent member of said driving means for cooperation with said pin, and abutting means arranged on said other adjacent member of the driving means for cooperation with said pin so as to limit an advanced position of the member of the knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar.

9. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knockingover bar driving means being disengageable, means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an advanced position, said disengageable connection of the knocking-over bar driving means including a pin secured to one member of said driving means and a hook arranged on another adjacent member of said driving means for cooperation with said pin, and a plurality of abutting surfaces arranged on said other adjacent member of the driving means for selective cooperation with said pin so as to limit a selected advanced position of the member of the knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar.

10. A straight bar knitting machine compris= ing: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, means associated with said knockingover bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection, resilient means acting on the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar for bringing same into an advanced position upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine, and limiting means arranged for limiting the advanced position of the member of the knockingover bar driving means carrying said knockingover bar.

11. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members-of said knockingover bar driving means carrying said knockingover bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, a spring acting on at least one of the members joined by said disengageable connection for holding the latter in engaged condition, and means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection whereby upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine the member of said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar may be brought into an advanced position.

12. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members of said knockingover bar driving means carrying said knockingover bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, a spring acting on at least one of the members joined by said disengageable connection for holding the latter in engaged condition, means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection, resilient means acting on the member of said knockingover bar driving means carrying said knockingover bar for bringing same into an advanced position upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine, and limiting means arranged for limiting the advanced position of the member of the knockingover bar driving means carrying said knockingover bar.

13. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, knocking-over bar driving means including a linkage having a plurality of members joined to each other by pivotal connections, one of said members or said knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar so as to impart movements in various directions to the latter during an operation of the machine, the pivotal connection between said member carrying the knocking-over bar and its adjacent member of the knocking-over bar driving means being disengageable, means associated with said knocking-over bar driving means for engaging and disengaging said disengageable pivotal connection, resilient means stretched between said member carrying the knocking-over bar and its adjacent member of the knockingover bar driving means for normally holding the pivotal connection between said members in engaged condition and for bringing said member carrying the knocking-over bar into an advanced position upon a disengagement of said disengageable pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine, and limiting means arranged for limiting the advanced position of the member of the knocking-over bar driving means carrying said knocking-over bar.

14. A straight bar knitting machine comprising: a knocking-over bar carrying a series of knocking-over bits, a first rockable knockingover shaft, a first arm secured to said first rockable knocking-over shaft, a substantially vertical bar pivoted to said first arm and rigidly connected to said knocking-over bar for imparting upward and downward movements to the latter during an operation of the machine, a second rockable knocking-over shaft, a second arm secured to said second rockable knocking-over shaft, a connecting link pivoted to said second arm and to said substantially vertical bar whereby said connecting link irnparts forward and backward movements to said knocking-over bar during an operation of the machine, one of said pivotal connections of said connecting link being disengageable, and means associated with the disengageable pivotal connection for en ging and disengaging same whereby upon a isengagement of the disengageable pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine said substantially vertical bar connected to the knockingover bar may be brought into an advanced position.

15. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 14, the pivotal connection between said connecting link and saidsubstantially vertical bar being disengageable.

16. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 14, the pivotal connection between said connecting link and said substantially vertical bar being disengageable, resilient means stretched between said substantially vertical bar and said connecting link for normally holding said disengageable pivotal connection in engaged condition and for bringing said substantially vertical bar with the knocking-over bar into an advanced position upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine, and limiting means arranged for limiting said advanced position of the substantially vertical bar.

1'7. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 14, the pivotal connection between said connecting link and said second arm being disengageable.

18. In a straight bar knitting machine as claimed in claim 14, the pivotal connection between said connecting link and said second arm being disengageable, a spring acting on said connecting link for normally holding said disengage able pivotal connection in engaged condition, resilient means acting on said substantially vertical bar for bringing same with the knocking-over bar into an advanced position upon a disengagement of said pivotal connection during a standstill of the machine, and limiting means arranged for limiting said advanced position of the substantially vertical bar.

19. A method for the operation of a straight bar knitting machine comprising the steps of: bringing the welt-bar in position for a welt-turn, laying-out the needles into position for engagement with the welt-hooks of the welt-bar, layingout the knocking-over bits into a position where- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,088,799 Lieberkne'cht Aug. 3, 1937 2,153,582 Miller Apr.'11, 1939 2,221,495 Start Nov. 12, 1940 

